5 cricketers who retired in their early 30s

Graeme Smith

Most successful captain in test history

Graeme Smith took over the reins from Shaun Pollock after the 2003 World Cup, becoming the youngest captain to lead South Africa at 22. He took the responsibility of rebuilding the team and exceeded expectations as captain.

Smith is the only captain to lead the team for 100 Tests, recording 50 Test wins. He also holds the record for the most Test runs and most centuries as a captain.

The tour of England in 2003 was a memorable one for Graeme Smith. He made back-to-back double hundreds, and his 259 remains the highest score by a foreigner at Lord's.

As captain, Smith always led from the front. His trademark moment was act of true valor that he displayed during the Test at Sydney in 2009, when he came to bat with a broken hand to save the game. It was an innings which will be remembered forever among cricket fans.

Smith announced his retirement at the age of 33 and played his last Test against Australia at Newlands in 2014. His reason was lack of form, as he scored only 45 runs in the six innings that he played in the series. Smith also cited his young family as a reason he wanted to move past the rigors of international cricket.